Mimic diagram panel for railway and other indication systems



April s, 1952 l.. 1+.--PETER Erm. 5 l MIMIc DIAGRAM PANELFOR RAILWAY f 29 ,865

AND OTHER INDICATION SYSTEMS Filed Aug. 5, 1949 WGS F1a ,3. Hurpu. M

APatented Apr. 8, 1952 MIMIC DIAGRAM PANEL FOR RAILWAY AND OTHERINDICATION SYSTEMS Leslie Hurst Peter and Edward Alfred Sheppard, KingsCross, London, England, assignors to Westinghouse Brake andzSignalCompany, Limited, London, `England Application August 5, 1949, SerialNo. v108,694 In Great Britain August 13, 1948 l'` This invention relatesto mimic diagram panels for railway or other indication systems of the.kind described in the specication of our prior indicated and accordingto the invention the separate plates or strips bearing the variable orcontrolled portions of the representation are fitted together in themanner of the sections of a jig-saw puzzle to form a complete sheetcovering the whole area of the panel or thatpart or parts thereofprovided with variable or controlled representations, each of theseindividual plates being provided with one or more sources in theaccompanying drawings of which- Figure l is a view in front elevation ofa mimic diagram panel for a simple track layout constructed inaccordance with one form of the invention.

Figure 2 is a similar View on an enlarged scale of a portion of thepanel shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 being a sectional view thereof.

Referring now to the drawings the invariable portions of therepresentation of the track layout are carried on the surface of themain panel (not shown in Figures V1 and 2) as described in thespecification of our prior application No. 88,008 this main panel beingindicated in dotted lines at I in Figure 3. j

Thevariable or controlled portions of the track representation consistof lines representing the track rails and transverse bars engraved onthe rear surface of plates fitted together in the manner of the sectionsof a jig-saw puzzle to form complete sheet.

For example the lines 2, 3 and the transverse bars f3 are engraved on aplate 5. Similarly the lines l. 8 and the bars i)V of the next adjacentportion of the track representation are engraved on a plate I0, thelateral edges of the plate 5 and I0 abutting against each other on theline 6.

The .nextadjacent section of the track representation is borne by aplate I2 on which are en- 6 Claims. (Cl. 1774-311) `of light for.illuminating^ by internal reflection the representation on the plate.

The invention is illustrated by way of example graved the lines I3, I4and bars I5, the left hand lateral edge of the plate I2 abutting against`the corresponding lateral edge of the plate I0 on the line II.

Abutting against the right-hand lateral edge of the plate I2, on theline I6, I6,are 'two plates Il, I Bof which the upper plate I1 bearsengraved lines I9, 20 and bars 2| corresponding to a track divergencewhile the lower plate lbears engraved lines 22, 23 and bars'24corresponding to the main track, the plates I1, IB abutting against oneanother on the line 25.

The extreme right-hand section of the track representation comprisesplates 26, 2'I abutting at their lateral edges against the correspondingedges of the plates I'I, I8. The plate 26 bears the engraved lines 28,29 and bars 30'of the diverging track while the plate 21 bears theengraved lines 3 i, 32 and bars 33 of the main track, the adjacenthorizontal edges of the plates 26,21 abutting together on the line 34.

The engraved representations on the vplates forming the sectionalisedsheet are illuminated by internal reflection as in the case of the panelof our earlier application and in order to prevent leakage of lightbetweenthe several plates the substantially vertical edges of the platesare rendered opaque and these edges may be silvered or otherwiserendered reiiecting to assist the internal illumination.

For the same purpose the edges of the plates il, I8 and of the plates26, 2l abutting against each other at the lines 25, 34 are similarlytreated.

The illumination of the representation is effected by internalreflection as in the case of our earlier invention and as shown in thedrawings incandescent electric lamps for this purpose are located inapertures in the plates above referred to.

Since as described in our earlier specification it is desired toilluminate the track representations in white or red light alternativelyto indicate respectively the setting up of a route or its occupation bya train or vehicle, separately controlled White and red lamps areprovided for each element of the representation.

The plates 5, I, I2 are provided with white lamps 35, 36, 3l and redlamps 38, 39, YIIU. It will be evident that the corresponding sectionsof the track representation can be illuminated 4in white light bysupplying operating current to the lamps 35, 3S, 31 or these sectionscan be illuminated in red light by supplying operating current to thelamps 38, 39, 40.

The plate I1 is provided with a white lamp 4l and a red lamp 42 forilluminating the linesv I9, 26 and the bars 2l in a corresponding colourwhile the plate Yi8 is provided with a white lamp 43 and a red lamp 44for illuminating the lines 22, 23 and bars 24. Similarly the plates 2Sand 21 are provided with white lamps 45, 45 and red lamps 41, 48 forilluminating the diver-ging or main track representations.

The lamps above referred to, as shown in the case of the lamps 45 and 48in Figure 3 are each located in an aperture 159 in the plate 21, thelamp 46 being surrounded by a tubular uncoloured screen 50 and the lamp48 by a similar red colour screen I.

An opaque mask 52 covers the whole front face of the plate 21 except fora strip adjacent to the track representation, the other plates of thepanel being similarly masked. Each lamp is screened by a circular coverplate 53.

Itwill be understood thatk in cases in which the main mimic diagrampanel is of curved cross-section, the section plates above referred toshould be similarly curved so that when assembled as above describedthey nt closely against the surface of the main panel and in this andother respects the invention is not limited to the particularconstruction described by way of example.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

l. A mimic diagram panel for displaying a layout consisting of aninvariable representation and a variable representation consisting ofsections, comprising in combination a sheet consisting of transparentmaterial having a part bearing the invariable representation of thelayout; means for illuminatingr said part bearing the invariablerepresentation by internal reflection'of light within said transparentmaterial; a plurality of plates, consisting of transparent material, andhaving parts, respectively, bearing the sections of the variablerepresentation, said plates being mounted close behind said sheet andfitted together so that the sections are combined to the variablerepresentation; and means 'for internally illuminating each of saidplates independently, whereby the sections of the variablerepresentation are illuminated by internal reflection within saidplates, respectively, and thus are rendered readily visible through saidsheet.

2. A mimic diagram panel for displaying a layout consisting of aninvariable representation and a variable representation consisting ofsec,- tions, comprising in combination, a sheet consisting oftransparent material having a part bearing the invariable representationof the layout; means for illuminating said part bearing the invariablerepresentation by internal reflectionof light rays introduced edgewiseinto said sheet; a plurality of plates, consisting of transparentmaterial, and having parts, respectively,

bearing the sections of the variable representation, said plates beingmounted close behind said sheet and ntted together so that thesections'are combined to the variable representation; each of saidplates having at least an aperture; and a light source in each of saidapertures for internal illumination of said plates, respectively,whereby thesections of the variable representation are illuminated byinternal reflection with-- in said plates, respectively, and thus arerendered readily visible through said sheet.

3. A mimic diagram panel for displaying a layout consisting of aninvariable representation and a variable representation -consisting ofsections, comprising in combination, a sheet consisting of transparentmaterial having a part bearing the invariable representation of thelayout; means for illuminating said part bearing the invariablerepresentation by internal reflection of light Within said iirsttransparent material; a plurality of plates, consisting of transparentmaterial, and having parts, respectively, bearing the sections of thevariable representation, said plates being mounted close behind saidsheet and fitted together with the edge portions thereof so that thesections are combined to the variable representation; means renderingopaque the abutting edges of said plates; and means for internallyilluminating each of said plates independently, whereby the sections ofthe variable representation are illuminated by internal reflectionWithin said plates, respectively, and thus are rendered readily visiblethrough said sheet.

4. A mimic diagram panel for displaying a layout consisting of aninvariable repre-sentation and a variable representation consisting ofsections, comprising in c-ombination, a sheet consisting of transparentmaterial having a part bearing the invariable representation oi thelayout; means for illuminating said part bearing the invariablerepresentation by internal reflection of light Within said rsttransparent material; a plurality of plates, consisting of transparentmaterial, and having parts, respectively, bearing the sections of thevariable representation, said plates being mounted close behind saidsheet and iitted together with the edge portions thereof so that thesections are combined to the variable representation; means renderinglight reflecting the abutting edges of said plates; and means forinternally illuminating each of said plates independently, whereby thesections of the variable representation are illuminated by internalreflection within said plates, respectively, and thus are renderedreadily visible through said sheet.

5. A mimic diagram panel for displaying a layout consisting of aninvariable representation and a variable representation consisting ofsections, comprising in combination, a sheet consisting or" transparentmaterial having a part bearing the invariable representation of thelayout; means for illuminating said part bearing the invariablerepresentation by internal reflection of light within said firsttransparent material; a plurality of plates, consisting of transparentmaterial, and having parts, respectively, bearing the sections of the`variable representation, said plates being mounted close behind saidsheet and tted together With the edge portions thereof so that thesections are combined to the variable representation; means renderingopaque the abutting edges of said plates; means for preventing thepassage of light from said plates to said sheet at points other thanwhere the sections of the variable representation are required to beseen; and means `for internally illuminating each of said platesindependently, whereby the sections of the variable representation areilluminated by internal reliection within said plates, respectively, andthus are rendered readily visible through said sheet.

6. A mimic diagram panel for displaying a layout consisting of aninvariable representation and a variable representation consisting ofsections, comprising in combination, a sheet -consisting of transparentmaterial having a part bearing the invariableA representation of thelayout; means for illuminating said part bearing the invariable in saidrst transparent material; a plurality of plates, consisting oftransparent material, and having parts, respectively, bearing thesections of the variable representation, said plates being mounted closebehind said sheet and tted together with the edge portions thereof sothat the sections are combined to the variable representation; meansrendering opaque the abutting edges of said plates; a plurality ofopaque screens arranged between said sheet and said plates,respectively, each of said screens having a slot being in substantialalignment with the section of the variable representation carried by theassociated one of said plates; and means for internally il- 15luminating each of said plates independently,

whereby the sections of the variable representation are illuminated byinternal reflection with- REFERENCES CITED The following references areof record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,427,678 Cummings Aug. 29, 19222,035,998 n Thompson Mar. 31, 1936 2,053,774 Hershey Sept. 8, 19362,132,094 Brodton Oct. 4, 1938 2,315,420 Harrington Mar. 30, 19432,367,577 Hayward Jan. 16, 1945 2,374,408 Braidwood Apr. 24, 1945FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 640,488 Germany Jan. 6, 1937

